Psalm 121 Lent 2 March 16, 2014.Docx
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StStSt.St . Luke Ev. Lutheran Church Sermon by Pastor A. E. Schultz Lent 2 March 16, 2013 Psalm 121 A song of ascents. 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD , the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in Hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God: It happened 50 years ago—last Thursday. In the wee hours of a cold winter morning—about 2 a.m. a man named Winston got up from his bed, got dressed and leaving behind his sleeping wife and two sons—a man who had never been in trouble with the law—drove around—looking for a woman to murder. Around 3 in the morning—a young lady named Kitty Genovese—climbed out of her car—on her way home after working as a bar manager. Winston chased Kitty and catching her—started to stab her. She screamed, “Somebody help me!” But nobody did. Oh, lights went on—windows were opened. A neighbor yelled out “leave the girl alone!”— and Winston ran back to his car. But soon he was back. When nobody came out to see what was going on—Winston came back and finished the job. The newspapers 50 years ago said “For more than half an hour 38 respectable, law-abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a women—in three separate attacks.” The story spread around the world. And people asked, “Are New Yorkers that calloused?” How could it be— that nobody lifted a finger to help? Today—this second Sunday of Lent— Second Sunday in Lent / ILCW Series A. God’s Word reminds us—even in the most desperate situations—especially spiritual danger: My Help Comes From The LORD! The LORD made everything I. The LORD watches over everything all the time! Psalms—Old Testament hymns—150 of them are arranged in clumps and bunches. We have seen that. The last 5 hallel —Praise the LORD! Today Psalm 121 is part of a bunch—Songs of ascent—Psalms 120 through 134— Songs of ascent. These were Psalms—songs that people sang going up! Some people have suggested songs of going up were sung by the Priests going up the Temple steps. Some think people going up to celebrate the feasts in Jerusalem. Others still think it’s the exiles going up from captivity in Babylon. Still today—if we were moving to Israel we would say we are “going up”! I like that! Psalm 120 says, A song of ascents. 1 I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. 2 Save me, LORD , from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. 3 What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue? 4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush. 5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek—(that is Turkey—well to the north), that I live among the tents of Kedar—(in Arabia—to the south east!) 6 Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. 7 I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war. We call to the LORD for rescue—for help—when no one else can possibly help! Psalm 121 says, 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD , the Maker of heaven and earth. I look at the mountains—the hills. Are the hills a place where wild animals and robbers hide—only to pounce—to attack me? Or do I lift up my eyes to the mountains—look up because the LORD is my rescue and my deliverance? When there is trouble—where do you look? Do you look down in fear—in depression and even despair? Do you look around—thinking if I am just smart enough—clever enough—I will think of a way out? Do you look around—hoping and expecting people will deliver you? Again and again people will fail you. They have troubles of their own. When push comes to shove—are they dependable? Again and again—people will fail you! Where do you look? Look up—to the LORD. My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Back in the Second Sunday in Lent / ILCW Series A. day—there were John Wayne movies. They were often the same. The wagon train—the covered wagons were heading west. Suddenly they were attacked by what we called back then—the Indians —wearing war paint— shooting flaming arrows—humanly speaking it was hopeless. But you were never really afraid—because you knew at just the right moment the Cavalry would come! John Wayne and the long knives would ride to the rescue. The Cavalry in their blue uniforms—their flags snapping in the wind—the bugle sounding the “charge”! They would drive off the Indians—put out the fires—rescue the little school ‘marm! It always worked out! Jesus is the Cavalry! He comes to save us—at just the right time—when we were still powerless—Christ died for the wretched sinners that we are. When we were still dead in our trespasses and sins—Jesus came to rescue us from our guilt and our grave. Jesus came to save us! I lift up my eyes to the mountains and hills—where my rescue comes from— from the Great I AM! My help comes from the LORD—the Maker of heaven and earth. When I lived in West Chicago—my dad drove Volkswagen bugs! We have a black one and a yellow one and a green one. They had the engine in the back—stick shift—no heat. If we went in the ditch—my dad, uncle Terry and I could pick up the car and throw it back on the road! My dad was very big on change the oil and all the filters regularly. He always took out bug to the Vollmer Brothers—two little German guys with a big sign in their shop that said, “Factory trained!” My dad always said—if they knew how to put them together in the first place—then surely they would know how to fix and maintain them! Jesus is the Maker of heaven and earth. What is the biggest thing you ever made? A house? A barn? Jesus made the oceans—the rocky mountains—Niagara Falls—the Grand Canyon. Jesus made the giant redwoods out in California—the Amazon Rainforest—Lake Superior and the North Pole! Jesus made some really little stuff too. Like all the hairs on your head—all the little parts of your eye—that make it possible to see the light of a single candle—some 146 football fields away. Jesus made your fingerprints. Jesus made your strands of DNA. Jesus made it so we can take pictures with our phone—can send text messages and e-mails. Jesus made it so air planes can fly. Jesus made music. Imagine how dull and quiet our lives would be if there was no music! Jesus who made your ♥ to beat again and again—all day and when you are sound Second Sunday in Lent / ILCW Series A. asleep—knows how to fix it and mend it and make it strong again. My help comes from the LORD—the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Watchmen dasn’t sleep! I think it was in the Viet Nam War movie Platoon —that one of the lead characters—an American soldier is so tired— exhausted from the fighting and from the stress and from the heat—that he falls asleep when he is supposed to be on guard duty. And while he sleeps—the enemy comes sneaking past the perimeter—where his fellow soldiers are sleeping. What to do now? Sound the alarm—and pure chaos breaks out. Friends are wounded and lives are lost—because he fell asleep! It’s painful to watch. Have you ever been driving—and you started to fall asleep? Have you ever seen a little grandma—a little grandpa watch TV and slowly but surely they fall asleep sitting up? Have you ever thought— how funny! That will never happen to me?! Jesus is never asleep. Jesus’ asked his disciples to keep watch with him—to watch and pray just one hour. And they didn’t—they couldn’t—because their eyes were heavy— they were exhausted from the stress and the pressure. They fell asleep the one time in all the world—when Jesus needed them! 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. “Coming and going”—can very technically apply to your running errands—the short distances you go from your house to the grocery store.